1 Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse says,
The man who was raised on high says,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
The sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me,
His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
One who rules over men righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
4 He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the tender grass springs out of the earth,
Through clear shining after rain.
5 Most assuredly my house is not so with God;
Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things, and sure:
For it is all my salvation, and all my desire,
Although he doesn’t make it grow.
6 But the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away,
Because they can’t be taken with the hand
7 But the man who touches them
Must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear:
They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place
8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth
a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against
eight hundred slain at one time. 9 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai
the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they
defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the
men of Israel were gone away. 10 He arose, and struck the Philistines
until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked
a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take
spoil. 11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The
Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground
full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood
in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and
Yahweh worked a great victory. 13 Three of the thirty chief men went down,
and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop
of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was
then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in
Bethlehem. 15 David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me water to
drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! 16 The three mighty
men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well
of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but
he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 He said, Be it
far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this: shall I drink the
blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not
drink it. These things did the three mighty men. 18 Abishai, the brother
of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear
against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.
19 Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their
captain: however he didn’t attain to the first three. 20 Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty
deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and
killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21 He killed an
Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went
down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand,
and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was more
honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the first three.
David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the
thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the
Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon
the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah the
Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,
30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 31 Abialbon
the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the
sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar
the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite,
Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai
the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the
son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the
Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
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